Tales From Cerulean
by yourkingtj
Summary: Kanto and Johto have fallen to Team Rocket. Now, there are only pockets of resistance left, most of them in Kanto. Cerulean City is the capital of the resistance. But are they really fighting for change or just delaying the inevitable? And while they fight, the world around them is changing. But is it changing for the worse? And who'll be left standing when it's all said and done?
1. Memory of Red

_Three Years Ago_

_"Misty! There's someone straggling in from the east, should we let him in?" Officer Jenny asked as Misty walked into Cerulean City's watchtower. Misty sighed. It could easily be just a ploy from Team Rocket. It wouldn't have been the first time. Conversely, it also could have been someone desperately in need of help._

_"I'll go. Jenny, send a squad to cover me." Misty ordered as she put on her sweater. Ever since Team Rocket's takeover of Kanto, it was almost as the land had went to sleep. The sun rarely came out and it was always cold. Most days it rained. As she stepped outside of the tower, Misty noticed it was particularly cold outside. Easily cold enough to be snowing or hailing. If there was someone outside the Cerulean gates, Misty would have to assess them as friend or foe quickly._

_Moments later, Misty stood before the gates with three police officers standing behind her, each with a Growlithe by their side. A belt of PokeBalls adorned Misty's waist. She looked up towards the tower and nodded. Despite their massive size, the gates sunk into the ground with surprising speed and it was seconds before Misty was looking out into the flat wasteland that lied to the east of Cerulean City. She scanned the area and saw no one. _

_"Officer Jenny, there's no one here." One of the officers behind Misty said into a cell phone._

_"What?!" Jenny responded, her voice was cackled by the static was surprised. _

_Then, suddenly, a massive lightning bolt shot up from the frost-covered ground. Misty yelped and the Growlithes began barking furiously. Then, just barely, Misty could make out something small and yellow in the distance._

_"PIIIIIIIIIIKAAAAACHHUUUUUUUU !" The Pikachu squealed as it unleashed another Thunder. Without a second thought, Misty sprinted towards the Pikachu. As she got closer, Misty could make out a figure laying on the ground. _

_"No way." She said to herself as she got closer. The figure, a boy around Misty's age, had extremely short black hair and was dressed in prison-wear that Team Rocket forced on those who opposed them. As she drew closer, Misty barely managed to dodge a Thundershock. Instantly she stopped. The officers rushed up behind her._

_"Growlithe-" _

_"Wait! Don't attack!" Misty exclaimed as she stretched her arms out. A tense silence ensued. Even though she wasn't a Pokemon doctor, Misty could see this Pikachu was beyond exhausted. It was incredibly thin and although its attacks were powerful, Misty could tell each one hurt Pikachu as much as they would its opponent. _

_"Pikachu," Misty said softly, slowing approaching Pikachu and the boy. Pikachu's cheeks began to cackle with electricity and Misty stopped, putting her hands up. "I don't want to hurt you. I just wan-"_

_Pikachu began using Charge when the boy on the ground thrust his arm in front of it. Misty gasped as the figure slowly got up. It had been at least five or six years since she had last seen that face. _

_The boy had been aged by both puberty and suffering. _

_"Red..." Misty whispered._

_Present Day_

Misty woke up from her dream and looked around. She was sleeping in her hidden room underneath the Pokemon Center. It wasn't an elaborate or pleasant room, but then again, Misty only used it for sleeping. And that was only when she planned for sleep. Most days she would fall asleep in the watchtower or by the gym. However, she had on multiple occasions found herself waking up on the grass or on a rooftop.

As she rode the elevator, Misty found herself thinking about Red again. She had always wanted to ask what Red faced in the Team Rocket prisons, but never found the courage. She remembered when she first saw Red without a shirt. Even with a shirt on, Red's arm were covered and scars, cuts, and marks. Deep gouges could be seen across his back and shoulders. Burn marks were present on her body in a sickeningly hypnotic fashion.

Even his face wasn't clear of signs of Red's imprisonment. Most noticeable was his right eye. Constantly red with a long, terrifying yet mystifying cut extending from it to his right, Misty could never tell if he could see out of it.

Misty was snapped out of her memories by the elevator stopping. She took a moment to gather her composure before exiting the rather cramped area. The belt of Pokeballs she always wore was present on her waist. Pikachu was eerily motionless on his shoulder, its small black eyes seemed like the only part of it that ever moved when it wasn't battling. Constantly scanning for escapes, assessing situations, distinguishing friend from foe - the sheer rage it excluded was intimidating to Misty even after all these years.

"Good morning," Misty said, attempting to drown her feelings with cheerfulness. Red offered the closest thing he ever gave to a smile, a small tilt of his lips.

"Morning. You sleep well?" He asked.

"Yeah," Misty said, taking in Red's appearance. He was still incredibly handsome. He hadn't cut his hair much in the past three years and it extended to his shoulders. He leaked a tense calm wherever he went and if one looked deep enough into his eyes, a small flame of hope shone. Misty didn't notice she was staring until she heard one of the city kids call her name.

"Misty!" The little girl exclaimed. Misty looked down with a smile. "You said you'd help me train my Rattata today!" The little girl said as she gently tugged on Misty's wrist. Misty gave an apologetic smile.

"One second, okay sweetheart. Let me talk to Red, okay?" The little girl nodded and exited the building. "Going to your room?" Misty asked, turning back to Red. He shook his head and looked past Misty. The former Gym Leader turned around to see a figure suddenly appear.

"Janine, I'm glad to see that you're back safely." Misty stated. Janine nodded in response before turning to the little girl.

"Sweetie, Misty will be out in a quick second but for now, me and Red need to talk to her about something important okay?" She explained sweetly. The little girl, clearly eager to please the adults, nodded and quickly stepped outside the Pokemon Center.

* * *

"Oh, Steven, how are you?" Misty asked to the silver-haired man who had just stepped onto Nugget Bridge. Steven smiled to the young girl Misty was training before regarding the ex-gym leader herself.

"I'm good. And yourself Misty?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Misty responded. It was always nice having Steven around. As a former Pokemon League Champion, his mere presence made Cerulean City seem that much stronger. And yet he was so accessible. So open.

"So how's the outside world looking?" Steven asked as he sat down on the edge of the bridge. Misty turned to see her Starmie spinning around the little girl and her Rattata and took it as a cue to sit down herself. Even without directly receiving orders, it was a highly capable Pokemon.

"Janine said that Fuchsia and Saffron are still holding out strong, but Vermillion is going to need back-up soon. She said she'd try to talk Lance into heading down there with her for a few weeks, just to give them some support. I couldn't stay for the entire briefing though," Misty said as she motioned to the little girl.

"That's alright," Steven said with that signature calm smile of his. "You had something just as important to do."

The two sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes. Soon, the little girl came up and squeezed in between them before snuggling up to Misty. The carrot top absentmindedly stroked the girl's hair.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Steven asked. Misty smiled.

"Yeah," she said. "It really is."

**Note: This story is based more off the games then the manga. Hope you like it and yeah, please review. Thank you.**


	2. Memory of Ethan

_Three and a Half Years Ago_

_"There you are Silver!" Ethan shouted after he finally cornered his rival. He found the redhead staring down the sheer cliffs of Route 47, looking down at the restless seas below. It would be a long fall. And a very messy landing. Ethan pushed that thought out of his mind._

_"What're you running for? I need to talk to you about something!" Ethan cried out, even though Silver's back was still turned to him. "It's important-"_

_"What do you want?" Silver growled. Ethan blinked. Why was Silver so mad?_

_"It's about Team Rocket! You have to help me stop them, they're trying to make to make a comeback!" Silver said nothing in response and Ethan was left staring at the back of his rival's head for what seemed like several minutes._

_"No." _

_"What?!" Ethan cried out, equal parts angry and confused. "What do you mean no? You have t-"_

_"I don't have to do anything!" Silver shouted angrily, further adding to Ethan's confusion and annoyance. "I have no interest in that. My goal is to be the world's strongest trainer. That's it." Ethan was stunned._

_"A-are you serious right now? What is wrong with you?!" Ethan demanded, leading to another silence from Silver. Finally, Silver sighed and turned around. A dark red 'R' decorated the bottom hem of his shirt._

_"S-Silver...w-what the hell is that? Is this some kinda joke?!" Ethan roared. Silver took a deep, irritated breath._

_"It's exactly what it looks like Ethan. I am Silver, and I am the heir to Team Rocket." The words hit Ethan like bricks, with each one heavier than the last._

_"Heir? The hell?"_

_"My father is Giovanni, the head of the original Team Rocket. He is making his way over to Goldenrod City to take his place as head of Team Rocket. Once that happens, he will unleash his plan to completely cripple Johto and then take over Kanto." A long silence followed. Silver silently mused whether or not Ethan was normally capable of being quiet this long under normal circumstances._

_"You're lying. You have to be. This can't-"_

_"If you want, you can join Team Rocket." Silver said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing in sadistic delight. Ethan took a step back._

_"No way Silver. The hell is wrong with you!" Silver rolled his eyes and put one hand behind his back. A second later, Silver had a gun trained on Ethan. The air suddenly turned cold around Ethan. He instinctively took a step backwards and forced down a gulp of air._

_"Well then, I can't let you go around messing with my future company, can I?" Silver asked menacingly. Suddenly, Ethan's senses seemed to go into hyperdrive. The air felt cooler, Silver's gun-toting figure seemed sharper, the crash of the waterfalls louder. He felt himself shivering. Was he going to die here?_

_"Manaphy, Heart Swap!" A voice cried out. Silver's eyes snapped past Ethan, but his vision was taken over by a red flash. A second later, Silver found himself looking at...himself? He recognized the red hair, black long-sleeved shirt, and the handgun and inwardly cursed._

_Ethan blinked his eyes and looked down to see his arm covered by a black sleeve and ending in a small black pistol. Without thinking, he dropped the gun and watched it descend to the waters below. He was so confused it hurt. Since when did Silver turn to Team Rocket? Was Silver really about to kill him? And why was Ethan staring at himself. Then, without warning, Ethan watched as a figure appeared, grabbed Ethan's body and began running._

_"W-Wait! Put me down!" Ethan cried helplessly from Silver's body. He took a step forward and noticed his feet felt incredibly heavy. What kind of shoes was Silver wearing? Ethan saw another flash of light and suddenly he was being carried by the mysterious individual. He started struggling, but the figure only held tighter. The two were nearing the edge of the bridge when Silver summoned his Feraligatr._

_"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" He ordered. _

_Then, Ethan found himself flying. The mysterious figure, a man wearing a purple tuxedo quickly turned and dodged Feraligatr's Hydro Pump attack before summoning his own Electrode. That was when Ethan realized he was still flying through the air. He looked down and saw nothing but the ocean below. Was the man working with Silver. Then, a large pink object floated into his view and Ethan landed in a young woman's arm._

_Present Day  
_

Misty and Steven were still sitting on Nugget Bridge when the duo of Lance and Red landed before them. Both men had a dark confidence about them that seemed to leak out wherever they went. Sometimes it was awe inspiring. Other times, it was terrifying.

"Red and I are going to Vermillion City in order to give them some back-up." Lance's sentence, as usual, was a statement. The decision had already been set in stone and he was only telling Misty and Steven out of courtesy, not for their opinion. Knowing this, however, didn't keep Misty from worrying.

"Janine is going to spend a day or two here in order to recover and then she'll join us there." Lance continued, his eyes focused on a spot between the heads of Misty and Steven. Steven nodded appropriately.

"Will you be alright Red? It's been a bit since yo-"

"I'll be fine Misty. Don't worry so much." He gave a cool, small smile meant to reassure Misty, but all it did was give her butterflies. Wordlessly, she nodded, giving the two world class trainers her blessing to leave. With that done, Lance summoned his Dragonite and just like that the two were gone. With the speed of Lance's Dragonite, they'd reach Vermillion within half-an-hour.

"I suppose it's too late to stop them, huh?" Misty asked, mostly to herself. Beside her, Steven chuckled his deep and somehow sophisticated laughter. It somewhat put Misty at ease as she got up. Although she didn't see, Steven looked almost sad as Misty prepared to leave.

"What are you about to get done?" He asked eagerly while also standing up. At her full height, Misty stood a respectable 5'7" and at his, Steven towered over her by nearly a foot.

"Nothing really. Once I'm done with Beth here, I think I'm going to do a bit of training around Cerulean Cave." She responded as her long, thing legs strode over to the young Beth who, along with her Rattata, seemed exhausted.

"Wow Misty," she said between pants, "your Starmie is really strong." In response, Starmie chirped softly and its core let off a dull glow.

"Thank you Beth. One day, you're Rattata will be big and strong just like Starmie!" Despite her tiredness, Beth's eyes went wide as she looked down to her Rattata, which also seemed to beam with pride.

"Wow, really?" She asked, her eyes opened huge. Misty nodded.

"Definitely,"

* * *

"Home base, I'm calling to notify you of my arrival." Jasmine said into her phone. There was a short pause before a deep, scrambled voice answered.

"_Good. Stay safe Jasmine."_ The voice ordered.

"Will do." Jasmine responded before closing her phone.


	3. Memory of Steven

_Five Years Ago_

_Misty was tired. No, exhausted. No, even further than that. It seemed as if every day, more and more refugees were pouring into Cerulean City. Misty's hometown was nearly about to burst from the people alone, and yet there was still the matter of the Pokemon that they were bringing with them. There were injured and sick, as well as elderly and even a few orphans. And Misty was in charge of it all._

_Well technically, the League champion Lance was in charge. But it was rare he made an appearance. The police tried their hardest to maintain order, but survival and desperation began to blur the line between right and wrong. Before she knew it, Misty found herself as the head of police, head judge, glorified baby-sitter, strategic advisor, head of defense, and countless other hats. It was becoming too much._

_"Misty!" A voice suddenly called out. Before she knew what was happening, Misty was surrounded by nurses. She realized she was sitting on the ground, but had no recollection of sitting down._

_"Are you okay?" One of the nurses, an older man, asked. Misty nodded as she forced herself up. Had she collapsed? She took a deep breath._

_"Are you sure?" Another one of the nurses asked._

_"Please, you should sit down." Another stated, offering a chair. Misty waved them off as politely as she could, but with only a few hours of sleep over the past week, her patience was wearing thing much faster than usual. The nurses looked at her skeptically, but backed away. If anything, they realized that Misty was reaching a boiling point. Suddenly feeling a need for fresh air, Misty exited the Pokemon Center, unsure of what she needed there to begin with._

_For once, Cerulean was rather peaceful. Or at least, as peaceful as a city whose population had at least tripled in the past six months could be. Thousands made their way to and fro, their voices a chaotic cacophony. Tired and wanting a break, Misty made her way towards the cape. While she wouldn't be alone, no one would bother her. After all, even with all of these people, it was still considered a couples' place. They would all be focused on each other. _

_As Misty made her way to the cape, giving out half-hearted waves and smiles, she couldn't help but notice the relatively large amount of people walking away from the cape. Many of them couples. As she got closer, she could something of a crowd and towering above it a beautiful Dragonite. Lance was here. Misty was only a few yards away when Lance broke through the crowd and met her eyes._

_"Ah, Misty, I was just about to start looking for you," he said, his voice in its unique tone of kind-heartedness with a steely undertone._

_"Everything is going well, we've recently balanced the budget to keep the food prices low enough for the refugees to get some food, but I don't know how we're going to set up an orphanage and-"_

_"Misty," Lance said, cutting off Misty's status report, much to her surprise._

_"It's not about that," he said, almost with a laugh. "There's someone I want you to meet." Misty followed Lance towards the cape, her curiosity bubbling through the cloud of sleep deprivation her head was currently in. Once they broke through the crowd, Misty's eyes floated around until they landed on a silver-haired man. Despite his hair color, he didn't seem old, but carried himself with an elderly grace._

_Before either of them had said anything, the man turned from the woman he was chatting with to face Lance and Misty. His face registered with the former gym leader instantly._

_"Y-you're Steven, aren't you? From Hoenn?" Misty asked, shocked to see someone of Steven's status in this glorified refugee camp. He smiled._

_"Yes, I am." Steven said reaching out a hand. "It's nice to meet you."_

* * *

Steven couldn't help but watch Misty as she finished her checklist of supplies for Cerulean Cave. Normally, she would have surfed on one of her Pokemon, but Steven had offered to take the bag over so that Misty could swim to the cave. To most people, a 2.5 mile swim would be impossible. But Misty put much more pressure on herself than most people.

With her stuff ready, Misty made sure her bikini wouldn't accidently come off and then dove into the warm Cerulean City water. It was fresh water and, despite Team Rocket's best efforts, totally clean. In fact, Misty almost considered it refreshing as she began her swim. Steven couldn't help but think the girl was beautiful. With Misty safe in the water, Steven boarded his Metagross and the pair made their way to the Cerulean Cave coast.

Once there, Steven sat on the grass and waited for Misty, wondering why she decided to swim two-and-a-half miles in a bikini to begin with.

* * *

Lance always thought Vermillion City was nice. It was the perfect blend of urban and rural and the city's port made sure that it always smelled just vaguely like the sea. Even when he and Red arrived, Lance couldn't help but enjoy the feel of Vermillion City if only for a brief moment.

"Oh thank goodness you're here!" One of the citizens in the city exclaimed as he ran up towards the two former Pokemon League champions. He looked tired, but at the same time hopeful. Lance inwardly smiled.

"Where are they at now?" Red's voice asked, coldly slicing through the warm Vermillion air. Lance glanced sideways at Red. To say the boy had a grudge would be a vast understatement. Lance cut in before the citizen could reply.

"That doesn't matter now," Lance said, his will clashing invisibly against Red's. "We'll do rounds, make sure everyone is in fighting shape, raise morale, and surprise Team Rocket when they attack again." Red grudgingly and silently accepted this and allowed himself to be led by the citizen into the western half of Vermillion City. Lance turned slightly to watch as Red and Pikachu checked, re-checked, and then checked their surroundings again. Each of them was looking for a target for their aggression. Whenever Team Rocket was involved, only one thought crossed their minds: revenge.

* * *

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Steven asked, handing Misty a towel from her bag.

"Of course." She said with a small laugh. "Shouldn't a water-type gym leader enjoy being in the water?"

"Fair enough," Steven replied, returning Misty's smile. He watched as Misty slid on a pair of shorts, taking special care not to seem too creepy or interested. Misty didn't seem to notice either way as she finished putting on a pair of boots and tied them tight. And just like that, the two of them were prepared for the type of training one could only receive in Cerulean Cave.

At one point, only strong cave-dwelling Pokemon resided there. But thanks to Team Rocket, all sorts of Pokemon now called the cave their home. The incredibly dichotomy was, as Lance once pointed out, even though Team Rocket had used the cave for their nefarious purposes it had since grown into a home for all sorts of Pokemon. "From death, always springs life" he had stated.

A flock of Zubats flew across the roof of the cave and a pair of Wartortles swam across the top of the water without a care. Steven and Misty were close to the mouth of the cave, but it wouldn't be long before they needed a light of some sort. Just to save the trouble, Steven again summoned his Metagross who proceeded to float lazily behind the two humans.

"Hey Misty, what are you thinking about?" Steven asked after a few minutes of walking. Most of the cave's Pokemon avoided the humans. The more aggressive and dangerous ones lived deeper in the cave, giving Steven the freedom to talk without worry. The former gym leader sighed before answering.

"I'm just worried about Red." She responded, her voice heavy with worry. Misty honestly hated talking about Red around Steven. She noticed the way he looked at her, the way he perked up around her, and it made her feel worse. To his credit, Steven didn't seem deterred that he wasn't on the carrot-top's mind.

"Don't worry, he's with Lance. He won't do anything reckless." Steven responded, much in the way Misty figured an older brother would.

"He still dreams about that Team Rocket prison," Misty stated. Steven nodded behind her.

"I heard they were absolutely horrible."

"I'm sure Red had it worse than usual, him being the one who defeated Team Rocket beforehand." The two continued in silence after that, both conflicted between wanting to know the horror of a Team Rocket prison, and not wanting to imagine such horrors. Suddenly Metagross let out a groan.

"What? This high up?!" Steven exclaimed as Misty released her Swampert which barely managed to hold back a Steelix. The two Pokemon squared off when a roar shook the room. And then another. Suddenly, Misty and Steven found themselves surrounded.

"What is this? Steelix and Onix never nest this close to the mouth of the cave." Steven said, more to himself than to Misty who was well aware of the fact. The former Gym Leader released two more of her Pokemon, a Rapidash and an Emolga. Steven covered her from behind with his Metagross.

"I can do this," Misty stated, not taking her eyes off the wild Pokemon.

"I know, I won't interfere. Just making sure you don't get hit from behind." Steven replied, staring down the two Onixes behind Misty and in front of him.

"Team Rocket wouldn't hesitate to attack from behind."

"You wouldn't be facing Team Rocket alone."

**Thanks Varee and MasteringAMuggleLife, you two are my first and only reviewers hahaha. ****To Varee, that is a question you'll find the answer to much later :P**And Mastering, I honestly have no ideas what the end pairings will be. Thanks again you two.


	4. Memory of the Elite Four

_Six Years Ago_

_"She fought valiantly, Lance. Don't blame yourself." Agatha said emotionlessly. Next to her, Lance stood with his jaw clenched painfully tight and his fists clenched by his dies. His eyes bore holes into the ground where Lorelei rested._

_"Don't patronize me Agatha. I could've gotten here faster. I should've known..." Lance responded as tears began running down his face. Agatha stood wordlessly to the side as Lance struggled to keep a steady breath._

_"Dammit. Where are they now? I'm gonna crush them, I swear I'll-"_

_"Lance!" Agatha shouted, causing Lance to flinch. "There are more important things to do right now, Lance. Kanto doesn't need vengeance. It needs safety. It needs a protector, Lance." Lance was silent for a while as was Agatha, who had tears streaming down her face as well. The two stood in silence for several minutes until the sound of grass-padded footsteps rustled the air. They turned to see a young girl walking towards them._

_"You're..." Lance said before the girl began bawling. Both Lance and Agatha ran over to the girl instantly. The girl looked up at the two with pleading eyes flooded with tears and attempted hopelessly to communicate through her sobs. Agatha wrapped her arms around the girl and held her tight. Lance watched as Agatha tenderly calmed down the former gym leader known as Misty._

_"It's okay sweetheart, it's okay." Agatha repeated over and over again in as motherly a tone as she could muster. Before long the girl had passed out from exhaustion and Agatha continued stroking the girl's hair absentmindedly. Seeing that she had everything under control, Lance turned back towards Lorelei's grave. He saw a tall, dark-haired woman standing in front of it._

_"Lance. Agatha." The woman said as she turned around._

_Present Day_

Misty squared off against the Steelix-Onix pair in front of her, keeping her emotions in check and her head level.

"Rapidash, Bounce! Swampert, use Earthquake!" Misty ordered. With a majestic neigh, Rapidash leapt into the air just as Swampert slammed its arms into the ground with a mighty roar. The entire cave began to groan under Swampert's power and the two wild Pokemon in front of it were thrown into each other before crashing into the floor. The Onix groggily got up, but was quickly defeated when Rapidash finally came down to execute its Bounce attack.

The Steelix let out an angry roar, but instead of attacking, it slowly moved backwards. It knew it had been defeated, and apparently had no desire to end up like its fallen comrade. Turning, Misty saw that the two Onixes behind her were also retreating, although she didn't recall hearing Steven give his Metagross any commands. And just like that, Steven and Misty were alone in Cerulean Cave, save for their Pokemon.

"What were those guys doing this close to the entrance?" Steven wonder aloud.

"My only guess is that something forced them out of their territory." Misty responded, causing Steven's frown to deepen.

"But what could get a pod of Onixes and Steelixes to move this far up?"

"Well," Misty began reluctantly, "the only thing I can think of is that pack of Houndooms and Houndours that Janine logged a few months ago." Steven's wordless response made it clear that Misty's guess was a long shot.

"I suppose it is possible..." he stated, although once again he was talking more to himself than to Misty.

"Well whatever it is, I suppose we'll find it sooner or later." Misty said with a shrug as she reached into her bag. Steven watched as her expression changed from apathetic to confused to panicked as she used her hand to search all over her bag.

"Are you okay Misty?"

"Shit, I forgot to bring the log book!" Misty hissed. She stopped and then took a breath. Getting mad wouldn't help anything. The mouth of the cave was still somewhat visible, so Misty could go home, get her log book, and then return within the hour.

"I can't believe I forgot it," Misty muttered as she turned towards the light that signaled the cave's opening.

"Hey Misty, you mean this?" Steven called. Misty turned back around and could just barely make out Steven waving a small book at her. She gave a sheepish smile.

"Thanks Steven, you're a lifesaver." She sighed. Ever since Cerulean City became a refuge, the cave was off-limits to everyone aside from those who passed a rather rigorous exam. And whenever they entered the cave, they were required to take a log book with them and to make note of any and all Pokemon behavior patterns and changes. It was by no means illegal not to, but Misty felt it necessary to set the example regardless.

"Here, I already marked down the Onix pod. You're welcome," Steven smiled. Misty accepted it without eye contact and without further words, the two were once again on their way throughout the cave with Steven and Metagross trailing slightly .behind Misty. Steven tried focusing on the rocks, but his eyes kept floating towards Misty. She was perfect in every way. She was strong when it counted, but kind-hearted as well. Just like the sea itself, at times peaceful and other times raging. But yet, always breathtaking to behold no matter its form. His heart beat a little bit faster, but he forced himself to calm down. Just friends was as far as this relationship would go. And that would have to suffice.

"Hey Steven?" Misty asked, snapping Steven out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Look here," she said, bending down by a small pond. As Steven got closer, he saw a small group of eggs. It took him a few moments to realize they were Goldeen eggs. And they were hatching. Glancing sideways, Steven saw a wistful smile on Misty's face and found himself smiling along with her. He looked back at the eggs and within seconds, they had hatched. Almost instantly a pair of Seakings swam up towards them, pointing their horns menacingly at Steven and Misty who backed away slowly.

"We're sorry little guys, we didn't mean to disturb." Misty said courteously even going so far as to bow her head slightly. Steven inwardly sighed. A healthy respect for Pokemon was always a nice thing in a girl. Steven found himself staring again and quickly looked down.

"Steven..." Misty started but Steven stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Misty, really I just-"

"No, it's fine I just- Steven I-"

"I know Misty. You and Red and...I'm sorry, I really am. It's just-"

"What? No! I mean...I don't...maybe we should just keep going." Steven wanted to speak but decided that maybe a cave crawling with powerful Pokemon that could strike at a moment's notice wasn't the best place to talk about the issue.

"Yeah...that's probably best..." Steven said softly. The conversation died after that and the lack of Pokemon made the silence seem deafening.

* * *

"Red, I bought you here under the assumption you could control yourself. If I am wrong, please let me know now." Lance said somberly the first chance he and Red were alone. Red sulked like a typical teenage boy would, arms crossed and eyes glaring forward.

"If I see them, I will crush them." Red looked Lance in the eye unflinchingly. Lance glared at him, matching his intensity. The staring match could have continued indefinitely had one of the Vermilion natives not entered the room.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything I just-"

"No," Lance interrupted. "It's fine. What is it man?"

"Team Rocket! We have reason to believe they're coming!" Lance glanced at Red, who glanced back at Lance. Before words could be exchanged, however, another Vermilion native ran into the room.

"Rocket's here!" He shouted. Lance cursed as Red sprinted out of the room with Pikachu scurrying at his heels. Lance followed quickly along with the two Vermilion individuals. Even though they were only a few seconds apart, by the time Lance had arrived outside, Red and Pikachu were already holding off several Team Rocket members.

"This is _the_ Red?!" One of the Rocket members asked incredulously before his Heatmor fell to a Thunderbolt. Before the Rocket member could release another Pokemon, he was blasted by a Thunder Wave and sank to the ground. Similarly, his companions fell as well.

"Red! What are yo-oh...you're...showing restraint." Lance said as he came next to Red, who glared at him.

"Yeah, I am. Hey you," Red said, pointing towards one of the Vermilion citizens. "Grab them, put them somewhere." The man nodded dumbly while Red continued forward on his warpath with Pikachu at his heels. As Lance looked down, he noticed a small pale yellow orb tied around Pikachu's neck.

"Red, is that what I think it is?" Lance asked. Red looked at Lance and then responded.

"Yeah, the light ball. I found it a few weeks before...Rocket." Lance regarded the ball with wonder as the two continued. Team Rocket members and Vermilion citizens alike stared in amazement as Lance and Red laid waste to the entirety of Team Rocket with ease.

* * *

"You can't do this to me!" One of the newly imprisoned Team Rocket members shouted angrily as Red and Lance angrily pulled him towards a fairly small jail cell furnished only with a bed and a radio.

"We can and we are." Red snarled as they tossed the prisoner into his cell. The 'prison' was situated near the mouth of the Cerulean Cave, hidden by a Pokemon's Secret Power. Despite being a jail cell, however, the room was furnished fairly nicely with a small but soft bed, a separate bathroom, and a collection of assorted magazines.

"Do you know who I am? Who I work for?" The prisoner shouted angrily. Red rolled his eyes before biting back.

"I don't care who you are and all I need to know is that you're Team Rocket scum." The prisoner gulped as he stared at the barely concealed rage in Red's face. Satisfied, Red and Lance turned around to exit the room. Feeling suddenly emboldened, the prisoner continued.

"My name is Trask and I work under Giovanni's son, Silver!" He shouted. At this, the two former Pokemon Champions stopped. Lance was the only of the two who turned around however. Trask, pleased that he had an audience, continued speaking.

"Yeah buddy, it'd be one thing if I was under Domino or Greevil because then I'd be screwed!" He all but screamed in a manic voice. "But Silver; Silver never lets his guys get taken. He _will _come for me!" Lance said nothing, but instead turned and followed Red out of the room while Trask continued to shout threats on Silver's behalf.

"You really think Giovanni will let his only son come here?" Lance asked once the two had exited the cave. Red's eyes showed no emotion as he spoke, although a faint smile graced his face.

"I guess we'll soon find out just how much Silver means to his dear old dad."

**Thanks again for the reviews you too, I really am glad y'all are enjoying it. And varee, yes I'm gonna keep up with this. I put a lot of time into making everything work, so I might as well see it through. **


	5. Memory of Janine

_1 Year Ago  
_

_"Thanks for letting me come with you," Red said after a few hours of walking. His voice was low, which wasn't particularly necessary as it was unlikely there was anyone in the area. Slightly in front of him, Janine smiled._

_"Sure thing," she said. "A little bit of non-Cerulean air is probably good for you." She joked. Red laughed. He didn't smile -or if he did, it was so faint Janine missed it-, and it was a mostly humorless laugh, but Janine considered a laugh nonetheless. At his feet, Pikachu sniffed the ground and air around him suspiciously._

_"Yeah probably. So what are we doing anyway?" He tried hiding his true intentions, but Janine could tell Red wanted an attack on Team Rocket. Which was not the focus of this mission._

_"We're going to the Indigo Plateau just to see what the people there need. That way we can tell Lance and he can bring them what they need. Hopefully, we won't meet any Team Rocket members." Janine said, slightly emphasizing the last sentence. Red gave a short nod, signaling that he heard but wasn't satisfied by the answer. Janine focused on what was in front of her. They were nearing Viridian City: the most dangerous part of their journey. Giovanni himself liked to stay in his old gym, which the duo had to walk directly behind in order to get to Indigo Plateau._

_A mile away, Janine could hear nothing. What was once a bustling city was mostly quiet since the Rocket takeover since most citizens either stayed inside or fled to Johto. Regardless, she could tell they were close and stopped so that Red could catch up._

_"Now listen," Janine began in a whisper. "We need to get to those trees over there as quickly and inconspicuously as possible, okay? You go first." Janine said, pointing towards the small mini-forest on the other side of Route 2. Red nodded wordlessly and peeked around the corner. All clear. He looked down at Pikachu who scrambled up to its owner's shoulder. Red then made a break for it and a few seconds later, Red had disappeared from Janine's view. She took a deep breath and was about to sprint when she heard voices._

_"You sure it wasn't a Pokemon or something?" One of the voices asked. Janine carefully held out a small mirror and saw, to her horror, two Rocket grunts. She inwardly cursed, her heartbeat quickening. Across Route 2, Red hissed a curse and struggled to keep an eye on Janine. He knew she wanted as little combat as possible, but it looked like a quick Thunder Wave was necessary._

_"Pikachu," Red began when a voice shushed him. Red swore and violently turned to see Janine with a finger over her mouth. The two looked back at the Rocket grunts, who were still looking for some Pokemon. Red gave Janine an incredulous look and the ninja just smiled and winked._

_Present Day_

Silver was irate. That was honestly one of the few words in the dictionary that could be used to accurately describe what the Team Rocket heir was feeling as he sat on his bed and began to think. Had anyone asked what he was thinking about, they would have gotten a silent and irritated glare. All manner of things floated through Silver's mind, but one in particular was how he was going to get his men out of Cerulean City.

The red-haired teenager knew for a fact that his subordinates wouldn't just be released because he asked, but Silver also knew that there was no his father would allow for a full-scale attack on Cerulean. Not yet, anyway. Whatever Giovanni was planning for one of the last few strongholds in the Kanto and Johto regions, it was big and as a result, the city was all but off-limits.

No, Silver needed to be smart about this. He considered taking a small task force, but immediately dismissed the idea. If they were outnumbered, then Silver could kiss his freedom good-bye. The longer Silver mulled over the problem, the clearer one idea became. One way or another, Silver would have to break into Cerulean City. Obviously an attack from outside was all but-

Silver found his thoughts jarred by the always irritating yet admittedly smooth voice that belonged one of Giovanni's most trusted generals. With an agitated sigh, Silver looked up to see Domino walking into his room with a wide smile on her face. Had Silver not been a teenage boy, Domino's sudden appearance would have been indescribably annoying. But, while she was an obnoxious woman whose morals and agendas were about as clear as ink, Domino was at least nice to look at.

"What do you want, Domino? Get out of my room, I'm busy." Silver snapped, causing Domino to giggle mockingly.

"Would you rather Vicious be in here?" The blonde asked, feigning an innocent curiosity. Silver's red eyes darkened at the mention of Vicious' name. As much as he hated Domino and her inability to just say what she wanted, Silver absolutely loathed Vicious. An arrogant, loud-mouthed weakling who, for reasons far beyond Silver's understanding, Giovanni had seen fit to make a general.

"What. Do. You. Want?" Silver repeated, his voice an irritated growl. Domino's eyes narrowed while her smile widened.

* * *

"This is really bad!" Jasmine cried out over her phone. The former gym leader quickly but quietly descended a flight of stairs and found herself at a teleportation pad. She knew where the pad went, but what she didn't know was who would be on the other side. Grabbing a Pokeball, Jasmine stepped on the tab.

"_Just get outside, someone will be there waiting for you. Hurry, Jasmine!_" The garbled voice on the other end of the phone ordered. Jasmine could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she quickly worked her way out of this sinister building. After what felt like an hour, Jasmine could see the exit. And then she felt something behind her. Turning around, she felt a force crash into her. It was a brutal landing as Jasmine collided with the front door which, to her horror, didn't open.

"And to think, my dear, you almost got away. Now do tell, what are you doing so far from home?" A female voice said as a figure emerged from the shadows. There was a loud crash above her and Jasmine had to look down to avoid getting glass in her face, thus missing the massive vines that had punched through the building's glass doors.

"Come on Jasmine!" Another female voice shouted pleadingly, this one much younger and pleasant sounding than the first. Jasmine ignored the pain of her hand pressing into shards of glass as she forced herself up and painfully made her way out of the building.

* * *

"Do you really think Silver will show up?" Misty asked the small council that had gathered in the quarters beneath the Pokemon Center. With her in the room were Lance, Steven, Red, and Janine. For a while no one answered and then Janine spoke up.

"Well if history is any indication, then yes, he will." She stated gravely. Misty's mouth set itself in a firm line and her fists clenched, almost without her consent.

"But there's no way he'll attack Cerulean. There's no way he'll win." Steven countered.

"That depends on how much back-up he brings with him." Red stated bluntly, causing the others in the room to shift uncomfortably. It was a harsh and brutal truth.

"We can't just give up the prisoners, though!" Misty shouted earnestly, feeling the situation beginning to spiral.

"Relax," Lance said, his voice both booming yet soothing. Misty took a deep breath.

"We're in a very precarious situation. If we release the prisoners now, we might be able to avoid a major conflict with Silver and Team Rocket by extension." Steven said, putting his opinion out for the group to weigh.

"Unless Silver's already on his way with an army." Red said, but Janine shook her head.

"From what I can gather, Giovanni's waiting for something. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it's what's keeping him from sacking Cerulean outright. Silver won't come with an army. At least, not a huge one. Giovanni won't risk a huge battle, even if it is his son." She explained. A bit of hope flowed in the five individuals in the room.

"Okay so there's a possibility we can win this?" Misty asked naively.

"It's very slim. Even if Giovanni doesn't send an entire horde, there's no doubt that Silver's forces alone are enough to be reckoned with. We would potentially have to pull our resources from Vermillion and Saffron just to hold them off. And if we do that, then predictably, that leaves those two cities absolutely defenseless." Lance stated. Misty sighed. This is why she hated strategy meetings. It consisted of a lot of back-and-forth between five rather intelligent people.

"Well they wouldn't be absolutely defenseless. The defensive measures Surge installed into Vermillion should help them hold off for a few days and Saffron is just a miracle city. No matter how many Rocket grunts and admins get sent there, it just won't fall." Steven stated. Lance gave him a sideways glance that only Janine caught.

"What is up with Saffron anyway? We're their allies, and yet not even Janine can get in." Misty asked suddenly. Lance's answer was quick and his tone made it clear that he had no desire to discuss the topic further.

"We don't know. Whatever Sabrina did, it worked." Red and Janine looked at each other and gave each other understanding but imperceptible nods. Lance was hiding something.

"So can we do this then? Can we prepare for Silver by taking a few trainers and stuff from Vermillion and Saffron?" Misty asked hopefully. Steven looked at Lance and for a while no one said or did anything.

"Perhaps," Red stated, "we could even grab a trainer or two from the Indigo Plateau? Those trainers are really strong, right?" Lance took a few deep breaths.

"You guys realize, this is a long shot. We have no idea how big a force Silver wants to bring. Or even if he'll bring one at all. After all, he's never had anyone trapped in Cerulean before. As much as the kid likes coming to the rescue, the risk here is simply too much. We could be weakening Vermillion and Saffron for nothing." Lance reasoned, making it clear he had no desire to have a wide-scale battle with Team Rocket, or at least he wanted more information before doing so.

"Cerulean is the sturdiest stronghold we have, Lance. Even if there's a possibility we could be under attack, we need to take it seriously." Red argued. Lance said nothing for a long time. Finally, he spoke.

"Fine, I'll call Saffron and the Plateau to make the necessary arrangements. Steven, get Vermillion." Lance ordered. Misty let out a sigh of relief as Steven nodded. Lance followed Steven into the elevator and held it open for the other three.

"I'm gonna stay down here, try and sleep." Red stated. Misty looked at Janine, who said nothing, but the message was clear. She wanted to be alone with Red. Misty nodded and quickly left the room. Red walked over to the bed and sat on it, leaving enough room for Janine to sit too if she wanted. Instead, she stayed standing.

"Red, Lance knows something we don't." Janine said, stating the obvious. Red nodded.

"If we confront him though, he won't talk. I assure you that." Now it was Janine's turn to nod. She looked at Red as his eyes continuously would glaze over, focus on her, and then glaze over again. For him to be this tired, it must have been days since Red last slept.

"Red," Janine said in a soft voice, that forced the boy to listen intently. "If we make it through this assault from Silver, come with me to Saffron City."

**This chapter was kinda boring, but longer than usual. Oh well, I just wanted to say that this is gonna start the first real story arc. Not quite sure how many chapters it'll last, but it'll likely be a while. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you're enjoying :)**


	6. Memory of Red, II

_Three Years Ago_

_"Wow so you're _the _Red?" Ethan asked, completely starstruck. Red glanced down at him wordlessly. The boy had just appeared from nowhere a few minutes ago and proceeded to bombard Red with questions, requests, and every other excuse to talk to his apparent hero. Red finally had enough.  
_

_"Yes. I'm Red. Are you satisfied now?" Red growled, although the malice he showed wasn't truly there. Somehow Ethan sensed this and refused to back down. Instead he simply stared into Red's eyes, excitement building. Red groaned and continued walking with Ethan at his heels. Red honestly had no idea where he was going, so Ethan would take turns between requests for Red to train him and explaining to Red everything he had learned about Cerulean.  
_

_"Isn't this place awesome?" Ethan asked once the two had come to Nugget Bridge. Throughout the entire village, this was the one place that hadn't changed much. Red said nothing, much to Ethan's chagrin. "You know, you're not the only victim here Red." Startled, Red looked to see Ethan standing up._

_"I, um, heard that you were in a prison so you probably had it really bad. Worse than most, I'll give you. But everyone here is still a victim. You can't just close yourself off from them. They need you Red. And in a way, you need them." Ethan said. After that he smiled and gave Red a thumbs up. He then turned to walk off, leaving a rather confused Red in his wake._

_Red turned his attention back to the small river that made its way past the Cerulean Cave. The way the sun reflected off the clear water was beautiful, Red had to admit. Before he quite realized what he was doing, Red found himself making his way towards the cave. He had cut through the city and had to climb over a few ledges, but soon he was there at the mouth of the cave. He took a step then noticed a presence beside him._

_"I wouldn't go alone." She said. Red violently turned and saw a beautiful purple-haired woman about his age. She extended her hand._

_"Janine. I was the Fuschia gym leader until..." she let her voice trail and Red nodded in understanding. "But yeah, it's dangerous to go in there alone. Even for you." _

_"I'll stay close to the entrance." Red offered. Janine gave a short disbelieving laugh._

_"Here, how about I go in with you. It's against the rules for anyone to go in solo, and I wanted to take a trip in there too." Red opened his mouth to argue, but the look in Janine's eyes told him it was useless. Wordlessly, he walked into the cave with Janine behind him. The two walked in silence for a few minutes, the cave growing darker as they moved further and further away from the mouth._

_"That boy you were talking to, Ethan," Janine began. Red glanced back at her._

_"You've been stalking me?" He asked. Janine laughed, but ignored the question._

_"He was saved by Misty and Mort - one of Johto's gym leaders. Giovanni's son was about to off him." Red said nothing, keeping his eyes forward. Janine also said nothing and the two simply ventured further into the cave._

_Present Day_

"You let her get away?!" An enraged voice exploded, causing the three commanders in the room to flinch.

"I-I'm sorry Cyrus. She had back-up and I was caught off guard." One of the female figures responded quietly. The first voice, Cyrus, took a deep breath but said nothing.

"What did she take?" He asked.

"We believe that she took information pertaining to our Red Chain operation, sir." A different voice, this time a male, said.

"Dammit!" Cyrus voice barked and over the phone, the three commanders could hear him slam his hands into the table, which caused them to jump again. Cyrus took another deep breath.

* * *

Cerulean City had become almost a fortress overnight. Police officers walked back and forth in front of the eastern gate while Officer Jenny kept watch over the skies from the Cerulean Tower. All over the place, the various higher-ups of Cerulean sat on rooftops, just waiting. They had been on high alert like this for about two weeks now and so far nothing. Janine had been sent to try and find out Silver's plans, but that too was about two weeks ago. Red wished he had gone with her. If she was caught, she could get imprisoned. Memories of being a Rocket prisoner began to flood into Red''s mind.

Just barely he could feel his muscles tighten. It started becoming harder to breathe, but Red couldn't notice since his mind had traveled four years into the past. He didn't notice that his body temperature was beginning to rise to nearly uncomfortable levels and that his limbs were trembling. All he could see was the tortures he witnessed. All he could feel was the pain he endured. He gritted his teeth as he relived each and every day he was in that damned hell-hole Team Rocket called a prison.

Had Red been aware of his own body, he would've noticed the numbness in his fingers or how dangerously he was to the edge of the PokeMart he was sitting on. He would have heard Pikachu crying for its trainer. He would have noticed the streaks of lightning that shot from his Pokemon as it tried to alert the entire city to the situation on the roof.

But Red didn't notice. All he could see was what once was known as the Safari Zone. He could see the Pokemon he had to constantly evade. He could smell the stench of rotting flesh, both human and Pokemon. He felt the stings and the cuts and the breaks he had suffered there. He saw Charizard.

"Red!" A voice screamed, causing Red to exit his waking nightmare. He noticed that everything was black, although he could hear voices. He realized his eyes were closed and slowly opened them. He was on his back and Misty was standing over him, distress all over her face. Lance and Steven stood over him as well. Red warily sat up and noticed a pain in his hands. His finger tips were red and blood trickled from his palms where his fists had been clenched. Red took a few deep breaths.

It was just a panic attack. Red looked around. The city looked the same as it had about ten or fifteen minutes ago. Red could feel his blood rushing through his veins as his body slowly began to relax. He stood up and his vision began to spin slightly. Misty, Lance, and Steven watched him closely.

"I'm fine. Sorry." Red said dismissively. Lance wordlessly nodded and turned so that his Dragonite could fly him away. He knew it was best not to press the issue. It would only make Red embarrassed and nervous. And it was best not to take that route so soon after a panic attack. It might start another. He found himself hoping Misty wouldn't push it. Red had already collapsed once today.

Back on the PokeMart roof, Steven was just lingering while Misty struggled between fussing over Red and not provoking him further. In the end, she simply stood there awkwardly.

"I'm fine." He repeated sternly, his eyes refusing to look Misty in the face. Misty wanted to reach out, but couldn't decide if that would be the best decision.

"A-are you sure? When Pikachu started firing off Thunders, everyone was concerned. I just want-"

"I said I'm fine." Red snapped. His vision started getting spotty again. He tried to calm down, but Misty often made staying calm...difficult. It was hard to stay emotionless around her.

"She's just worried Red. We all are." Steven said standing up. Red turned to face the former champion.

"I know. Thanks. I'm fine." Red replied in a tense voice. This time his eyes met Steven's and a silent battle of wills ensued. Misty cleared her throat, forcing the boys' attention off of each and onto her.

"Okay Red, if you're sure you're okay then we'll head back." Misty said quietly. Red nodded. Both Misty and Steven boarded Misty's Jellicent and they were soon gone, leaving the PokeMart roof in silence again. Red squatted on the ground next to Pikachu and rubbed its head.

"Thanks buddy," he said softly. Pikachu nudged his hand affectionately. Red fully sat down and turned his attention to the sky. His mind lingered on Misty. Maybe he was a bit too cold towards her. He just didn't want her to worry. Did that make her worry more? He gave a frustrated sigh. High-alert Cerulean made everything way more difficult.

* * *

The trip back to their respective roofs was awkward to say the least for Misty and Steven. Neither said anything to each other. They had to pass Misty's station in order to get to Steven's and the silver-haired young man briefly considered just walking to his station. But instead he said nothing. Steven shifted and his hand landed on Misty's causing him to jump.

"Um, sorry." He mumbled, moving his hand and turning his face.

"It's, um, okay. Don't worry about it. It's fine." She replied mechanically. Steven turned to look at her and could see that she was still thinking of Red. Steven held back a frustrated groan. Part of him wanted to tell Misty that Red was fine and another part wanted to tell her not to worry about Red at all. Finally they landed on the southern most building in Cerulean, the bike shop.

Misty and Steven gave each other quick good-byes and just like that, Misty was on her way to the southeastern portion of the city. Steven watched as her Jellicent floated further and further away before siting on the roof. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. It was almost six in the evening. Soon everyone would come off watch, eat dinner and take a break while Lance would continue circling the city. Steven debated on circling with him and decided it was probably for the best.

Steven grabbed his notebook and the pencil beside it. Inside were mostly sketches of various rocks and other materials he had found lying around the Kanto region. It his mind, Sinnoh was the best when it came to rare stones. Kanto was too urbanized and the places that man had mostly left untouched were either coastal or jungle, neither of which were great places for rare stones. Although, there was the cave. Steven had found quite a few interesting stones there, many of which had been crafted into jewelry he either gave to Misty or sold. Steven pushed the thought of stones out of his mind, however. He opened the notebook to the pages containing his sketch of Cerulean.

He was nearly done with it, all he needed to do was draw out the west entrance. He closed his eyes, perfectly remembering the exact scene he was trying to draw. It had been about a year after he arrived in Cerulean and he had convinced Misty to let him draw her in front of the village. Steven summoned his Reuniclus and Skarmory to help him keep watch while he prepared to draw. The next hour or so was spent by Steven looking between his notebook, south of the city, and his own memory.

He didn't even notice that time was up until Misty cleared her throat, causing him to look up. She was standing behind him, giving her full view of the just-finished sketch. Steven looked at her, but Misty's eyes were focused on the picture and the girl that stood in the center. Was that really her? The girl was so beautiful. And the city behind the girl looked so grand.

"Do you like it?" Steven asked hesitantly. Misty found herself speechless.

"Is that girl...really me?" She asked, her memories of that day coming back. She remembered feeling so awkward with Steven drawing her and feeling so grateful when Lance interrupted them. Had Lance been working on this all that time?

"Yeah, of course it is. Why? You don't like it?" Steven asked, his voice rising slightly. Misty had always wondered what it was like to be touched by a work of art. She had heard the expression countless times before, but now she truly understood what it meant.

"It's beautiful Steven. Absolutely beautiful."

* * *

Silver was ready to move. Two of his generals stood behind him, covered head-to-toe in black along with a few dozen captains and about five grunts. Silver had neglected to go the ninja route in preference of comfort and ease of movement. His long red hair was tied in a ponytail. It was a long way to Cerulean from the Sevii Islands, but the boat was ready. It was a small submarine capable of moving up to 150mph. It was built of a nearly unbreakable material that could plow through anything without slowing down. It was a ship after Team Rocket's own heart: The Black Bullet. It went where it went, and broke through any barriers to get there.

"Are you ready, sir?" One of the generals asked. Silver nodded and the strike force piled into the submarine. It was a tight fit, but no one dared complain. Had Domino been in charge, she would have simply gotten a bigger albeit slower ship. Vicious would have tossed any complainers into the ocean to be swept where they may by the current. But Silver's company was trained better. They accepted their situation without question.

Just like that, the Black Bullet was gone. Submerged into the Sevii Ocean. Above them, practically invisible floated Janine, carried by the combined power of her Crobat and Noctowl. She allowed Noctowl to release her arm so that she could zip up her wetsuit and then sealed the owl Pokemon into its Pokeball.

"You ready Crobat?" Janine asked. Just then she felt a sharp sting in her side and was forced to bite her tongue to keep from screaming out. Her side burned and was cold at the same time and Janine instantly recognized it as an ice-type attack. She searched frantically for the source and let go of Crobat just as another Ice Beam was about to collide with her. She summoned Crobat back into its Pokeball and was about to hit the water when another attack, collided with her. She hadn't seen it coming, but Janine for a split second found herself in a cloud-like substance. The force of the impact had forced the air from her lungs and sent her flying back, unable to even flail.

As soon as Janine hit the water, she knew she was in trouble. The violent waves of the Sevii Ocean carried back and forth and it was all but impossible to surface for a quick breath. Janine could feel the pressure in her chest. At this rate she was going to drown. She groped for a Pokeball, hoping it was the right one. Something hit her in the face and it took all of Janine's willpower to stay conscious. Her vision was going black. She saw a red flash and then the world went black.

Around the now unconscious body of Janine, the water began to spin and churn even faster. Soon the girl's body found itself in a whirlpool. Her head was mostly out of the water, although it occasionally went under. Janine's Vaporeon cried shrilly for her to wake up. It couldn't keep this up for long. It tried a screech attack. Normally it knew better than to make this much noise, but circumstances dictated it was necessary. Vaporeon continued to cry out.


End file.
